Page 10 of The Fallen Ones

The feelings I’d been fighting regarding him reared their head higher, making me yearn to know what kissing him would be like.

No.

I can’t.

I won’t.

What the hell was wrong with me?

“Caleb, I shouldn’t?—”

“Don’t decide right now,” he interrupted, his voice low and sensual. The butterflies were now flapping wildly in mychest and making their way higher. My breathing was short. Desperate. Ragged.

“No one will know it’s you behind your mask. They have keys to rooms for the random hookups. You take the key and go to your room.”

“Then what?” I whispered.

“Then you fuck them.” His lips were nearly touching mine. “It’s a secret you get to keep and enjoy. All night long if you want.”

I inhaled his scent, ready to ask him to just fuck me so I could experience everything about him. I was too shy to just ask and too smart to know it was a terrible idea that could ruin our friendship.

But what better way to get to know your best friend…

My phone buzzed, dragging me away from the moment. I blinked rapidly and pulled away from him, but not before I saw the disappointment in his eyes. Or that’s what I told myself it was because I knew we’d both just crossed a dangerous line.

Quickly, I snagged my phone from the coffee table and answered it.

“Hey, Lily!” Olivia’s voice greeted me. Olivia and I had become friends last year when we’d both volunteered to do a summer reading program for kids in the city. She was bubbly and full of life, which was a stark contrast to who I was. But I adored her. “I have to tell you what I heard.”

I settled back in my seat, noting Caleb was eating more pizza, his focus out the window in my living room to the city outside.

“What did you hear?”

“Jace hooked up with Jessica Meyers. I wanted you to hear it from me before you heard it from anyone else.”

My hand shook as I held my phone to my ear, my heart aching.

You did this.

You broke it off with him.

“How do you know?” I asked, my voice soft and trembling as I worked to keep my emotions in check.

“Abby Radner was blabbing about it tonight at Giano’s. Lana Miller said it’s a good thing you left when you did because you’d have lost it.”

I closed my eyes for a moment. “And you’re sure it happened?”

“That’s the rumor. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to get back to you through someone else.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate it.”

“I’m here if you want to talk. It sucks he ran off so fast and started back with these hoes on campus. He was like that before you two got together though, so I guess I’m not surprised.”

I let out a soft scoff, knowing exactly how he was before we were together. New girl every other night. The fact he’d been faithful to me despite me not putting out for him was a surprise.

“It’s fine. I’m OK. Caleb is here.”

“Ooh,” she said, laughing a little. “I’d just fuck Caleb and get Jace back. The two never liked each other anyway. That would piss him off and give him a taste of his own medicine.”

---